Speaking to the media Thursday, John Harbaugh said he couldn't comment on the suspension until the league announced it.

The coach did, however, say the team has been preparing for Rice's punishment and that he spoke to the running back on the field during practice.

"It's just part of the process," Harbaugh said. "We always said from the beginning that the circumstances would determine the consequences. There are consequences when you make a mistake like that. I stand behind Ray, he's a heck of a guy, he's done everything right since. He makes a mistake, he's gonna have to pay a consequence.

"I think that's good for kids to understand it works that way, that's how it works, that's how it should be. We'll move forward, and the next guy will have to step up and Ray will be back when the time comes. It's not something that we're dwelling on, we're not worrying about it, we're just moving forward."

"It is disappointing that I will not be with my teammates for the first two games of the season, but that's my fault," Rice said. "My goal is to earn back the trust of the people, especially the children, I let down because of this incident.

"I am a role model and I take that responsibility seriously. My actions going forward will show that."

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome: "We appreciate the thorough process the league office used to evaluate the incident with Ray Rice.

"While not having Ray for the first two games is significant to our team, we respect the league's decision and believe it is fair."